Elancourt, 24 October 2017 – Airbus has started to upgrade the entire Belgian national radio communications network for public safety to keep it fit for the future. Together with its consortium partner Proximus, Airbus expects to conclude this mission-critical network renewal in less than two years.
The project includes a network migration to Tetra IP (Internet Protocol), the replacement of base stations and the reinforcement of network capacity. As a result, network capacity will increase by 30 percent and more subscribers will have the possibility to enrol. The network serves more than 700 public safety organisations in the entire country, for instance polices forces, fire brigades and rescue services.
“It is the largest project in the past ten years which ensures Astrid’s Tetra network will continue providing available, secure and reliable communications for the future. The technical support provided by the consortium Airbus-Proximus to achieve this aim is much appreciated”, says Marc De Buyser, Chief Executive Officer of Astrid, the public company which operates the network.
In the course of the upgrade, Airbus and Proximus will substitute 455 base stations with Airbus Tetra TB3 technology and provide complementary tactical network management tools (Tactilon Suite Management). In addition, the network control tool Viewcor as well as the latest radio dispatching technology RCS9500 will be provided.
“With the modernisation, the consortium Airbus-Proximus and Astrid will facilitate the operation of the national radio network in Belgium. Policemen, firefighters and rescue services will soon be able to communicate more efficiently with our technology”, says Olivier Koczan, Head of Secure Land Communications at Airbus. He also emphasises that the overall network capacity will be increased. Currently, more than 70,000 people working for the public safety services in Belgium use the radio network on a daily basis and for crisis situations.
Since 1998, the public company Astrid has been developing, managing and maintaining a national radio communications network, a paging network and a series of control rooms in Belgium. Astrid is an initiative of the Belgian federal authorities.
Copyright photo: Astrid
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Airbus
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2016, it generated revenues of €67 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as Europe’s number one space enterprise and the world’s second largest space business. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
Secure Land Communications (SLC), a business unit of Airbus, develops, installs and maintains professional and land mobile radio (PMR/LMR) networks based on Tetra, Tetrapol, P25 and LTE technologies and offers a wide range of radio solutions and devices for customers worldwide. The portfolio also encompasses mission-critical broadband solutions based on 3GPP standards and emergency response centres (911/112). SLC is a leader in PMR, with more than 280 radio networks in over 74 countries, and the US leader for 911 response centres with the VESTA 911 call handling solution serving more than 60% of the market. SLC employs nearly 1,700 people in 20 countries.
Contacts:
Kai Schlichtermann + 33 1 6138 5547 kai.schlichtermann@airbus.com
Anke Sturtzel + 33 1 6138 5330 anke.sturtzel@airbus.com
